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Colin Trevorrow & Derek Connolly to Take the 'Flight of the Navigator'

Now this is the perfect fit for Colin Trevorrow. After weeks and weeks of rumors that Trevorrow was the potential frontrunner for the Star Wars: Episode VII directing gig, news is now out that he is not taking on Star Wars, but is instead taking on another beloved cinema classic - Flight of the Navigator. Variety broke the news that director Colin Trevorrow and screenwriter Derek Connolly, who worked together on this year's indie Safety Not Guaranteed, have been hired by Disney to (at least) co-rewrite the script. One of my personal favorites from the 80's, we first learned years agoFlight of the Navigator was getting a reboot.

The report says that, while Trevorrow and Connolly have been hired to rewrite the script (originally penned by Brad Copeland), they add it's being developed "as a potential directing vehicle for Trevorrow." Meaning he's not confirmed yet, and will likely develop this until/if Disney is satisfied with their take to give it a greenlight. David Hoberman & Todd Lieberman are producing the remake at Mandeville Films, which has a few good films in the works (Muppets 2, Phineas & Ferb). "Flight of the Navigator wasn't a seminal movie of my childhood but I remember liking it and the original meant a lot to Colin as a kid, so it's really his baby. It'll be good to have some balance so it's not two fanboys writing the movie." Interesting, but good to hear.

Flight of the Navigator (directed by Randal Kleiser in 1986) is about a young boy, played originally by Joey Cramer, who discovers a sleek metallic spacecraft from another part of our universe that he takes for a ride around the world as government agents chase him down. The spacecraft design kind of reminds me of a bit of the ship seen at the end of Safety Not Guaranteed, which is one reason why I feel like it's perfect for Trevorrow to get involved with. Speaking of which, ever since the premiere at the Sundance Film Festival this January, Trevorrow & Connolly have lined up a number of projects, including selling another untitled script to Disney, setting up indie Intelligent Life next, and Connolly working on an unnamed Pixar project.

Speaking on the opportunities the success of Safety has brought to them, Trevorrow was caught saying in an interview in June this intriguing quote (via YouTube): "One [upcoming project], I will say, will probably create a good deal of ire against me on the Internet when people find out what it is. So, I just want to say in advance that I promise you, for all those who love the mythology that I will be tackling, trust that I love it as much as you do. And I will respect it, and hopefully make it not suck." Many thought this might be Star Wars, which at the time could've been a possibility, though he has since confirmed he's not directing Episode VII. Either way, I'm excited to see Trevorrow & Connolly continue to work together for many years.

I kinda wish that there was just ONE of my favourite childhood movies that wouldn't be remade. I mean, remakes aren't all bad, but they just feel so unnecessary (see also: Total Recall). With Short Circuit being remade as well as Flight of the Navigator, I'm dreading the inevitable Gremlins and Explorers remakes that will no doubt be announced soon.